2022 Rivers & Roads Hero
A complaining cure from Lady Bird Johnson
Pat and the Ladybirds on a mission to protect the river. Photo courtesy of Pat Zolman
This holiday season, we're giving thanks for this community. In each of our program areas, we see ordinary people taking heroic action to protect our home from the pressures of a changing climate.
This year-end, we're highlighting stories that inspired us and sharing how we're planting seeds to create a climate-resilient future for all of us.
Donate now to 2X your impact with a $50,000 match!
Creating the future we want to thrive in is a team effort.
Every day, we see environmental superheroes in our community step up and take action to protect our home from a changing climate.
Meet our 2022 Rivers & Roads Hero: Pat, a retired school counselor and tireless river guardian.
For about a year, every time she drove down Emma Road, she complained about the litter she saw.
“I live about seven minutes from Emma, and I use it all the time. I kept complaining that it looks awful. Every time I was in the car, I would say, ‘There’s so much litter. There’s got to be something I can do about it,’” Pat said
Pat’s right. We lead volunteer groups on river and roadside cleanups all over the city, and we know from experience that Emma Road is one of the most littered places in Asheville.
Pat was also right that there’s something that she — and all of us — can do about the environmental problems that just bug us.
Pat "Adopts" Emma Road
By chance, Pat volunteered at a Hard 2 Recycle event and met Eric Bradford, GreenWorks’ Operations Director. When she asked him if there was anything she could do about the litter on Emma, Eric said, “Yes, of course! Come on in, I’ll show you what you can do.”
There's lots of ways to help Asheville thrive. Pat chose to “adopt” Emma Road as part of our Adopt-a-Street program. Every week, she puts on a yellow GreenWorks vest and goes out to pick up litter.
“Everyone thought I was crazy to take on Emma Road because it’s so bad and the car traffic is so busy, but I’ve been doing it for a year, and I can’t believe the difference. It’s progressed to where it’s probably 90 percent better.”
Pat isn't alone though. “A couple of times when it’s gotten really bad, I’ve called Eric and said, ‘Please send help.’ And he did! He sent groups of volunteers to come out and help.” Pat has also inspired some of her friends to lend a hand. They call themselves The Ladybirds, after former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, a vocal anti-littering advocate.
For Lady Bird, and for Pat and the rest of the GreenWorks community, picking up litter isn’t just a way to make our neighborhoods look nice. It’s how we protect our waterways from pollution.
“No one wants to see litter where they live, but the river is my real love.
I hate seeing the water polluted with litter,” Pat said.
Empower More Local Heroes
Think Asheville could benefit from more river guardians like Pat?
We know environmental problems are big, and you want to put your money toward priorities that make the biggest impact.
Pat’s story shows us that all big impact starts with someone seeing something that needs to be changed and then taking action.
One of the most powerful ways you can take action this holiday season is to donate now. A group of generous donors will match your gift today, up to $50,000.
What will we do with your money?
Reinvest it right back into this community.
A gift of $25, which outfits one volunteer for a roadside cleanup —becomes $50, which will equip one volunteer StreamKeeper for an entire summer of river cleanups and Trash Trout maintenance.
Your donation today will empower more residents like Pat to take action to protect our home, and most importantly, our future.
Will you give a gift today to support this community’s efforts to build a greener future for all of us?
